SCDP: Actions Speak Louder Than Words On Ethics Reform

Governor Haley will be holding a press conference this morning and attached is a document to help you decode the Governor’s real position on ethics since her actions tell a far different story than her words.

Without ethical leaders, we’ll never have ethical government. The Governor has failed to meet the standard of conduct that South Carolinians deserve time and time again. Actions speak louder than words and Governor Haley has engaged in a pattern of ethically-wrong behavior. South Carolina deserves better.

Governor Haley may express her concern over conflicts of interest, but…

Editorial: Haley doesn’t understand conflict of interest when it comes to her. “Once again, Haley is building on her penchant for “Do as I say, not as I do.” Prime example: In the memoir, Haley says voters have a right to know who legislators “worked for in their day jobs.” She hints that the fact that most lawmakers have a day job other than the General Assembly (who, pray tell, could live on a state lawmaker’s salary?) could present conflicts of interest. Yet later in the book she discounts questions about her own extracurricular paydays as “a nuisance issue” and “character assassination.”” [Savannah Morning News, 4/26/12]

The House Ethics Committee has repeatedly looked into complaints against Gov. Nikki Haley for illegally lobbying for the Lexington Medical Center while she was a member of the SC House and exploiting her public office for personal gain and to benefit her employers. [The State, 3/14/12]

Governor Haley may call for good government measures, but…

Governor Haley flew campaign staff on the state plane 43 times in one year. “The S.C. Senate voted to sell the state’s two planesThursday, hours after Democrats demanded Republican Gov. Nikki Haley reimburse the state for flying a videographer paid by her campaign on a state-owned plane.” [The State, 5/16/2013]

Governor Nikki Haley had to reimburse the state $9,500 for ethics violations regarding plane usage. “She returned $9,590 on Fridayto the state Aeronautics Commission, which operates the state’s two taxpayer-funded planes. The reimbursement covers flights taken across the state over seven days” to attend “news conferences and bill-signings.” “A rule first inserted into the 2011-12 budget, and kept in this year’s, specifies that bill-signings, press conferences and political functions don’t count as official business. The clause says the flights are ethics violations.” [Associated Press, 10/8/12]

“Haley’s tax records show she was making $22,000 at her parent’s clothing store, but her job application to the medical center showed she was making $125,000 a year.” [WACH, 3/29/13]

“Republican gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley earned more than $40,000 in 2007 and 2008 consulting for one of South Carolina’s largest engineering firms, according to tax records from those years released by her campaign on Monday.”[CNN, 6/21/10]

Governor Haley may stress merit-based appointments, but…

Haley replaced a well-respected leader with a campaign contributor on the USC Board of Trustees.

“Governor Nikki Haley has removed philanthropic businesswoman Darla Moore from the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees, and replaced her with a donor to Haley’s gubernatorial campaign.” [WIS, 3/15/11]

Governor Haley may call for greater accountability, but…

Governor Haley waited more than 2 weeks to inform 6.4 million consumers and businesses in South Carolina that their tax information had been hacked under her watch.

A computer chief at the S.C. Department of Revenue did not heed warnings about cyber-security shortcomings at that state agency before hackers stole personal financial data belonging to 6.4 million consumers and business, a former agency employee told lawmakersThursday. [The State, 1/4/13]

“For example, the governor’s office waited more than two weeks after to inform the public that millions of Social Security numbers and other personal information had been stolen.” [Palmetto Public Record, 11/30/12]

Governor Haley may promotetransparency, but…

Haley deleted emails, failed to provide emails and refused to disclose 10 years of tax returns to the public.

“Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley came into office promising a commitment to transparency, but the deletion of emails by staffers has brought new criticism that the Republican governor has fallen short on that campaign issue.” [AP, 12/26/11]

“In a June interview with The State, Haley refused to release 10 years of tax records. ‘I think that’s excessive, I really do’ Haley said at the time. Haley made her tax records public only after GOP primary opponent Gresham Barrett released three years of his tax records. Haley campaign manager Tim Pearson said Haley would be willing to release tax returns going back to 2004, when she was first elected to the State House, but did not do so Tuesday.” [The State,7/21/10]